More than a year ago, much of the Academy membership devoted one day of a busy annual meeting schedule in San Antonio to refine the draft American Academy of Health Physics (AAHP) strategic plan. Some of you may have been wondering what has become of that effort and whether the Academy leadership has sustained the vision and momentum.

1. Maintain high standards for certification of health physicists.
2. Maintain high standards for continuing education and recertification.
3. Maintain high standards for professional responsibilities and practices by CHPs.
4. Enhance recognition of CHPs and the AAHP and the American Board of Health Physics.
5. Improve communications to CHPs and others.
6. Further increase the value of the AAHP membership.

Both the draft strategic plan and the exhaustive discussion in San Antonio centered on specific objectives that would further these various goals.

In the period since this planning effort was initiated, at least two of your fellow CHPs have been concerned enough about Academy direction to come and address the Committee or the Board in person. Others have approached the officers directly or communicated their concerns and suggestions to them in some other manner.

What have you done? Are there approaches that you have witnessed in other professional associations that you or your spouse participate in? The American Board of Industrial Hygiene has the organization’s Strategic Plan as an icon on its Web site. (Ours is there but you really have to know where to look.) Be on the lookout for similar examples of good ideas that are worthy of borrowing!

After three years of a “growth assignment” mobilizing contractors and directing a fitness-for-duty program, your editor has returned to a job with “Radiological” in the title. It is good to be back. In some ways, not a great deal has changed while I’ve been “gone.” As radiation profession als, we still have more scrutiny cross-checking whether we are doing things right than we have resources to fix what we know could be better.

On the other hand, I had a unique opportunity to focus on personnel issues and contract management that I might never have experienced in a career as a “pure health physicist” (whatever that is). I did a lot of committee work with other single-unit nuclear utilities—where I learned what strengths and weaknesses consensus decision making has in the business environment.

Initially, I was relieved at the prospect that I might never again have to confront a fellow employee about a substance abuse problem. I told my coworkers my ambition was never to have another grown man crying in my office. It is good to be back to simple, straightforward problems—like a radwaste liner full of solidified sludge with insufficient documentation to demonstrate that it meets the free liquid criterion for disposal. Ah, the simple life. . . .

In short, I am glad to be back to full-time health physics. However, if any of you are offered the chance to step outside of the profession, it might surprise you how much you can still learn about health physicists . . . and about yourself. — Gary

Clarification on Academy relationship with the American Board of Medical Physics, the annual CHP salary survey, Dale Denham’s acceptance of the McAdam’s award.·